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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Trujillo

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1-25-06

1-28-06 HB 143

SHORT TITLE Aging Department Info and Referral Task Force

SB

ANALYST Collard

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$203.8

Non-Rec

General Fund

$258.2

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates SB 496

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD)

Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

Office of Workforce Training and Development (OWTD)

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 143 appropriates $462 thousand from the general fund to ALTSD for the purpose of

funding the existing 211 information and referral system, expanding the system into new areas of

the state, creating a statewide information and referral task force, developing of a strategic plan

and hiring a certified operator and data entry training.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $258.2 Thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense and $203.8

Thousand is a non-recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered bal-

ance remaining at the end of FY07 shall revert to the general fund.

House Bill 143 – Page

2

ALTSD indicates at least one state staff person will be required permanently to support the pro-

ject at a cost of approximately $108.2 thousand per year, according to DDPC’s estimate.

ALTSD estimates $258.2 thousand of the FY07 projected budget will go to recurring staff costs

for the project manager and staff at five United Ways. There is no indication at present that any

United Way in the state has the capacity to support its 211 system without ongoing financial

support from the state. Required fiscal support will vary by site around the state.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH describes the system as a toll free dialing code, available 7 days a week and 24 hours a

day, that enables citizens to access information and call centers when they are in need and not

sure where to turn for social, employment and other services. The system is not available in all

communities in the state.

Support includes: project management and operating expenses for the existing system; expansion

into two new areas of the state; a statewide information and referral task force; development of a

strategic plan; and certified operator and data entry training.

ALTSD states this bill provides funds to continue and finalize the strategic planning process for

statewide implementation of the 211 general information and referral system (211 I&R). This

process has been in place, with state staff to partially support it, for the past year. The sole staff

member has been employed by and housed in the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council

(DDPC). An additional portion of the intended funds would go to directly support eight United

Way 211 systems around the state, some to assist with operating costs and others to support start

up operational and staffing costs. The institutionalization of an I&R or 211 task force, facilitated

by ALTSD, would ensure adequate oversight of financial and program planning.

ALTSD also notes the Office of the Chief Information Officer’s (OCIO) Social Services Re-

source Directory (SSRD) Committee needs to decide if 211 is the best vehicle for generalized

entry into the statewide integrated data system. The possible resultant mix of private (United

Way) systems and state-run data and program systems creates possible conflict and incompatibil-

ity in the areas of IT integration, provider oversight, contract management, and taxonomy con-

figuration.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

ALTSD’s Aging and Disabilities Resource Center Director and Consumer and Elder Rights Di-

vision Director would acquire additional responsibilities in implementing this program. The Re-

source Center would house the 211 staff coordinator, although staff space is extremely limited at

present. The Resource Center already houses the United Way of Santa Fe County’s 211 staff,

although their I&R system is not currently integrated into the Resource Center’s database.

DUPLICATION

House Bill 143 duplicates Senate Bill 496.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

ALTSD states if each United Way adopts a different 211 system, and each has to integrate with

House Bill 143 – Page

3

the platform selected by the OCIO to support an integrated statewide Resource Directory, there

may be significant compatibility problems across the entry, I&R, and data warehouse platforms.

The IT staff in ALTSD, working with the SSRD Business Consultant would need to carefully

manage IT implementation of the whole system, but would ultimately lack fiscal and technical

control over the United Ways and other private vendors.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

ALTSD states, in order to expedite the process of implementation of a statewide 211 system, lo-

cal United Ways should seek alternative funding sources for long-term operational support. This

could consist of federal funds or a combination of local government and private funding.

An alternative to a 211 entry point into the state-run SSRD is creation of a shared user interface

by the SSRD vendors who will be providing planning services for the development of the SSRD.

A shared user interface with appropriate links would provide adequate general I&R services for

the majority of consumers since the combined databases in all state agencies contain virtually all

public and private resources. The ALTSD Resource Center, for example, contains over 6,000

listings to serve the elderly and adult disabled residents of the state. The DOH Public Health

system contains over 7,000 listings.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

ALTSD indicates a coordinated statewide 211 I&R system would assist in centralizing access to

the broadest range of resources sought by the residents of New Mexico. The strategic planning

exercise intended in this bill would assist in creating that system. Without these funds, planning

efforts would remain fragmented and it is unlikely that a viable coordinated system would ulti-

mately be developed.

DDPC indicates the 211 lines for Information and Referral Services would be a significant part

of the infrastructure of our communities without which we remain the status quo. Currently, ac-

cess to community/State Health and Human Services information and referral is fractured and to

large parts of the public within New Mexico, obscure. Multiple and competing telephone lines,

1-800 numbers (listed by names not by service type), websites and walk-in access points are

poorly promoted. Many people find it difficult or impossible to find the agency to serve their

needs by searching phone directories and making countless calls. Communities are not aware of

these gateways to human services and consequently, these services may be under-utilized.

KBC/nt